Kale with Olive Oil, Garlic and Lemon

I love kale and, as I mentioned in my previous post on Tuscan Soup, it’s a nutritional powerhouse. It’s great raw, chopped up in a salad, which is how to gain the most benefits from it.

The second best way is to just lightly saute’ it, with a bit of olive oil, sliced garlic, and fresh lemon juice. My husband loves it this way also, so it’s a go-to side dish for me that comes together very quickly.

You want to cook this just until the kale starts to deepen in color but still retains some crunch to it. To prepare kale, tear it into large chunks, removing the thick, bottom stems as you go. Place in a colander, rinse well and drain well.

Kale with Olive Oil, Garlic and Fresh Lemon Juice Recipe

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2-3 large cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 bunch fresh kale, rinsed, drained and trimmed of tough stalks
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a large skillet (or a large stock pot, if you don’t have a large skillet) heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers

Add garlic slices and stir for about 1 minute – just until the edges start to turn golden

Add fresh kale (be careful here, as any moisture on the kale left from rinsing can spatter a bit in the hot oil) and stir until all the leaves have a light shimmer of olive oil on them.

Cover pan for 3 minutes, remove the cover, stir and cover for 2 more.

Remove lid and stir while still cooking, about 2 more minutes.

Add fresh lemon juice, toss and serve.

Yum, right? This is also great with fresh Parmesan shavings, though I only do that occasionally. I made this last night as a side to steelhead trout and baked potatoes. Easy, nutritious and delicious.

Enjoy!